AS Media Studies Music

Magazine Coursework
Task 2 - DETAILED CLASS ANALYSIS OF MUSIC MAGAZINE ONE NME

2a. Analyze the front cover of NME, September 2009.

Dizzee Rascal is the main image. He is using direct mode of address to connect
with the target audience and his facial expression is positive which makes it
more relatable.
The vibrant red colours in the masthead are masculine and sans serif, appealing
more to men than women. Possibly connotes strength and masculinity.
Main image is anchored to the main
cover line his happy expression is
related to him spreading joy around
the world.
Background connotes that it is an
urban street setting, relevant to the
genre hip hop and is an artistic
expression. The use of the word Joy
in the main cover line also anchors the
graffiti as the magazine tries to
present that the graffiti is an
expression of freedom. Some
interpretations contradict, people
might view it as threatening.

There is use of slang in the main cover

line; man is informal, which also
relates to breaking the rules and
conventions and appeals to todays
The type of shot used in the main image is a long shot; we know this as it
youth who frequently use slang to
captures the subjects whole body, however the primary focus is from shoulders
express themselves.
up. This is achieved through strategic positioning from the photo shoot and
utilising rule of thirds. This has the effect of creating a theme of slanted imagery
on the cover.

Mise-en-scene is utilised to create

representation. The gold chain
around his neck connotes that he is
a gangster since its a popular
convention for rap artists or rap
culture. It may also be an
expression of his wealth. The tank
top, joggers and sneakers are all
consistent and are representative of
the rap industry and reflect the
modern fashion. It is informal and
simplistic in design and represents
the target audience.

The masthead is sans serif, modern,

bold and vibrant, which helps draw
attention to it. It is also placed at
the top of the magazine with rule of
thirds so that the target audience
immediately sees the masthead.

Putting the typography on a slant

echoes or repeats the slant of the
main image. By not making it
horizontal it appears more informal
and creative.
Breaking
Barcode
is placed
in theconventions
bottom right. It
-is not
following
the
grid
or
rule ofso it
small and plain, unnoticeable
three.
doesnt take attention away from the
prime features of the cover.

Banner at the top and bottom. They are other musicians and groups. They are separate from the main cover line and main
image; placed at the top, and the bottom. The bands match the genre of the magazine and it provides information about the
magazine and what is in it. Follows a consistent colour scheme. The ones more relevant are at the top and slightly bigger
whereas lesser known bands are at the bottom.

k 2b: Analyze the contents page from NME

The main focus is of the touring
special which is supposed to
resemble music case with the use
of the metallic-styled corners and
matte black background. This is an
indication of good graphical
designing. The model in the main
image is also using direct mode of
address to create eye contact with
the audience and draw them in.
Unlike the front cover of the
magazine, which does not follow the
typical codes and conventions of
grids, columns and rule of thirds, the
contents page is structured in
columns of three, creating a grid
format that utilises rule of thirds.
We can see this in the way that the
main image is placed in the very
centre of the hotspots of the rule of
thirds where as the less important
aspects are in dead zones.

Furthermore, the use of mise-en-scene in the main image anchors it to the

cover line, as the model is pointing wards the coach/bus this is commonly
used by musical artists when travelling on tours.

The contents page does not follow the

same conventions and codes as the
front cover. The colour scheme and
layout is completely different, except
for the main image, which is slanted in
the same manner as the main image on
the cover.
Whereas the magazine cover was
bursting with colour, the contents page
is much more dull and simplistic,
keeping to a colour scheme of red,
white and black.
There is a rectangular puff in the
bottom right hand corner which has a
vibrant yellow colour, allowing it to
stand out and draw the target
audiences attention. It is advertising
the magazine and encouraging the
target audience to subscribe, which in
turn creates profit for the creators of
the magazine.

Overall it has a well structured

layout. The use of the masthead NME
relates back to the cover of the
magazine and establishes a brand for
the magazine.
The cover lines on the right side of the contents page are deemed to be more important than the cover lines on the far left;
this is because the cover lines on the right have their own categorical titles with a differing background and font colour to
make them stand out as being more important than the others, whereas the cover lines on the left use an extremely small
font size and use the contras of red and black, which can be somewhat irritant to the eyes. The page numbers help the
target audience identify where the content can be found in the magazine.

Task 2c: Analyze the double page spread from NME

The double page spread links

us back to the front of the
magazine; it features Dizzee
Rascal as the main image
and the same urban
background with graffiti on it.
This represents the urban,
hip-hop culture as well as the
idea of graffiti being
interpreted as artistic
expression.
I believe its trying to fight
against the stigma of young,
troubled black youth or the
idea that spray-painting is
always a crime.
As the main image, the
model is not making eye
contact with the audience or
using direct mode of address.
Instead, through mise-enscene, he is looking
somewhere else, which
creates curiosity in the target
audience, wanting to know
what it is thats captured his
attention.

The title of the main cover line here also links back to the layout of the magazines front
cover, with bold, sans-serif font positioned at a slight tilt. It creates a concurrent theme
for the magazine. Its extremely bold, which draws the readers attention to it, and the
structure and layout of the double page spread appears to follow the rule of three and
column-like grids.
The manner in which
spacing is utilised with the
placing of text and images
in the double page spread
is extremely clean and
simplistic; the article is
separated into four nearlyidentical columns and
none of the text it
squished together or
unidentifiable.
This creates a good overall
impression of the article
from merely looking at it.
It has a strong, distinctive
branding and individual
aesthetic.

The main image on the left dominates the left half of the double page
spread, placing a large focus on Dizzy Rascal as the model and anchoring
that image to the story of the double page spread. For the article its self,
the first letter is much larger than the rest of the font; this is to draw
attention to the beginning of the article, this is known as a drop cap. There
are other secondary and tertiary images featured in the double spread,
much smaller and used mainly for aesthetic reasons to enhance the content
of the double spread; for example, the bottles denote alcohol whereas the
stereo denotes that it is related to the music industry.

Task 2d: Identify the elements that connect the 3 different parts of the magazine.

Colour scheme: There is a continuation of colours established on the front cover of the magazine and extending
through the contents page and double page spread; these colours consist of black, white and red as the three
dominant colours.
Tilted/angled text: The effect of making the typography slanted or at an angle is that it creates a unique, edgy
and almost artistic theme for the magazine. As this breaks the usual conventions and codes of magazines, it can
be interpreted as being a symbol or representation of rebellion and individuality.
Main image + Content: The front cover and double page spread are extremely similar, whereas the contents
page differs slightly in terms of who the main image is and the content. On the front cover and in the double
page spread, both feature Dizzee Rascal along with the urban, graffiti-filled background which links strongly to
each other. The contents page between them has the effect of breaking up the continuation and providing
something new and interesting to get the target audiences attention.